1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to smoke and power failure detectors and more particularly is directed towards a novel portable combination lamp, smoke detector and power failure detector operable on both battery and AC supply.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional smoke detectors are available for both AC and DC operation. The typical AC smoke detector may be a smoke detecting system in which several smoke detectors are distributed about a building and are all connected by a network of leads to a common power supply and panel. AC detectors are also available as single plug-in units. More popular are the battery-operated individual smoke detectors which may be readily located throughout a building by merely attaching the same to a wall or ceiling. Some smoke detectors are combined with a burglar alarm device and may also be coupled to stand-by lighting units. While such warning devices are efficient for use in a fixed location such as a home or office, they are not particularly portable because of their size and weight and lack functions that would be useful to travelers.
At present there is no portable warning device available to travelers which is of a size and configuration appropriate for easy transportation and which is not only adapted to warn the traveler of the presence of smoke, but also to warn him of a power failure in the building. Loss of electrical power is a common condition that occurs at the start of a fire and which may even precede the detection of smoke at a remote location from the fire. Also, there is no device available which also combines with such a detector a high intensity lamp which the occupant of a hotel room, for example, might use to escape at night through passage ways that may be dark because of a power failure.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable personal warning device adapted to detect smoke and/or a power failure in a building and provide ample light for use in an emergency. Another object of this invention is to provide in a single self-contained unit a portable combination lamp, smoke detector and power failure detector adapted to operate on batteries as well as on AC line supply.